Supplementary list: Deleted voters can appeal via EC’s online portal
Kolkata: Voters whose names have been deleted across the four supplementary lists released by the Election Commission so far, the fourth one was released late on Sunday night, can file appeals before the appellate tribunal constituted by the Calcutta High Court, in compliance with a Supreme Court directive.
The Commission has also activated a dedicated link on its website to facilitate online filing of such appeals.
A total of 19 Appellate Tribunals have been constituted in the state, each headed by a retired judge, keeping in view the 19 districts under the current arrangement. Those excluded from the supplementary list must approach the tribunal through the online portal.
How to file the appeal:
An aggrieved elector must first log in to the Election Commission’s website, where a dedicated option for West Bengal has been provided. Then, the concerned elector needs to sign in using their mobile number. An OTP will be sent to the phone, which must be entered to proceed.
Next, the EPIC number should be keyed in, and once the elector clicks on ‘Search’, their details will appear, along with the option to apply before the tribunal.
There will be space for filling in the complete address, including the PIN code. There will be a column for stating the reason for filing the appeal in not more than 500 words. There will be space for mentioning the Assembly Constituency of the concerned elector.
After submitting the form, the portal will ask for the Aadhaar number. Once entered, another OTP will be sent for verification. After the final submission, an acknowledgement number will be generated. Applicants are advised to preserve this number carefully for future reference.
EC sources said infrastructure for the tribunal will be set up at the Dindayal Upadhyay Institute in Joka to hear appeals from electors whose names were deleted after adjudication by judicial officers.
As decided, all 19 retired judges who will be presiding over the tribunal will sit in that office in Joka. Voters from districts whose names have not been included in the supplementary list will be able to submit their applications online from home through the Election Commission’s website or the ECINet mobile App. They need not travel to Kolkata physically for filing the appeal.
If any documents are required during the adjudication process, voters can submit them to the concerned District Magistrate or Sub-Divisional Officer. Those offices will forward the documents to the tribunal. This arrangement will remain in place as of now.
The date for the commencement of hearings has not yet been decided. The standard operating procedure (SOP) for the process will be determined by the Calcutta High Court.
